The past few months have been so incredibly busy, a whirlwind really. I am shooting for some amazing clients that I could only dream about at the beginning of 2018. I am in the planning phases of a very special project that I can’t wait to share more about soon. Needless to say, this space has been sorely neglected. I actually conceived and shot this passion fruit yuzu tart back in late November with the intention of starting off the new year with this post. But lo and behold it is already March and I finally just getting to these photos and this recipe.
I am never one to shrink away from flavors that challenge me so I set out to make a tart that I could love – multidimensional with elements that would round and balance the sour and sweet. The perfect inspiration came when on a trip to the store I found something I have only ever seen bottled, fresh yuzu. These green and orange, dimpled-skinned citrus fruits are a must have ingredient in Japanese food. More and more they are becoming popular here in the US. Thoughts of homemade yuzu kosho and yuzu cocktails immediately came to mind. But then a lightbulb went off in my head – yuzu would be perfect for the citrus tart. The taste and amazing fragrance of yuzu is unlike any other citrus fruit. If you are ever able to get your hands on fresh yuzu fruit – immediately scratch the skin, put it up to your nose, and breath in deeply with eyes closed. The fragrance is intoxicating. Just with this one ingredient I was confident that I was on the road to creating something I would actually like.
Next, I found the most gorgeous dinosaur egg passion fruits that I wanted to photograph. The intense tropical fragrance of passion fruit and the pop of the seeds would add another dimension to my tart. I then needed something to round out the sharpness of both fruits and the sweet meringue I planned to top this tart with. Something creamy like white chocolate came to mind and for an earthiness to ground this dessert, I decided toasted sesame seeds would be the perfect addition.
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Quite a bit of testing went into this dessert. I initially tried a cold method to set the filling. As so often happens as soon as I decided on this method I knew it was going to be a mistake. Needless to say the tart never set and disastrous amounts of precious yuzu passion fruit custard leaked all over my refrigerator shelf. My standard method of freestyle cooking and improvisational baking led to watery meringue that began to melt as soon as I brought it on set to be torched.
The final recipe for this tart is baked guaranteeing a properly set custard. I even pulled out a thermometer to make Swiss meringue – the most firm and dense of all the meringues – perfect for cakes, tarts, and pies. Fresh yuzu is of course preferred in this recipe but as it is hard to find pure bottled yuzu juice and dried zest will work as a substitute. This tart is so delicious and an absolute flavor bomb. I think I have finally figured out a tangy tart that I can love.
I for one am trying to figure out a way to have fresh yuzu as often as possible – maybe trying to grow from the seeds that I kept? Anyone have experience doing that? I have been making homemade kombucha and flavoring with yuzu. I’m so sad that I just used my last fruit for this.
S E S A M E P A S S I O N F R U I T + Y U Z U T A R T W/ M E R I N G U E S W I R L S
makes 1 tart
for the tart
1 prebaked 9-inch french tart shell, cooled
6 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoons white sesame seeds, toasted and ground
1/4 cup yuzu juice, fresh or bottled
1/4 cup fresh passion fruit pulp + 3 tablespoons for garnish
2 ounces white chocolate
1/2 cup heavy cream
fresh zest from 2 yuzus or 2 teaspoons dried yuzu zest, ground
for the swiss meringue
3 egg whites, room temperature
1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons organic sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Scoop the passion fruit pulp into a sieve over a bowl and separate the seeds from the juice. Set the seeds aside. Setup a double boiler by adding 1-2 inches water to a small sauce pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, fit a heat-proof bowl onto the pot. The bottom of the bowl should not be touching the water. In the bowl, Melt the white chocolate with the heavy cream. Add the yuzu and passion fruit juices, 1/2 cup sugar, bring to a gentle simmer, fold in the sesame seeds. Remove from the stove.
Separate the egg yolks and whites into separate medium sized bowls. Reserve the whites for the Swiss meringue. Whisk the egg yolks with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Slowly pour the hot white chocolate mixture over the eggs, whisking continuously, until well blended. Stir in the reserved passion fruit seeds and yuzu zest, if using.
Set the tart shell in a sheet tray. Place in the oven. Pour the filling into the shell until it is filled but not spilling over. You might have a bit leftover. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is still a little jiggly. Cool tart completely on a wire rack.
to make the swiss meringue: Setup a double boiler with 1-2 inches of water in a small sauce pot, bring to a boil over medium heat, fit a heat-proof bowl onto the pot. Combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl, stir and combine constantly for 8-10 minutes until the egg white mixture holds steady at 175°F (use a thermometer). Remove from heat, whisk at high speed with a hand mixer until glossy and stiff peaks are reached, about 5 minutes.
Top the cooled tart with dollops of the meringue, gently swirl and pick up for tips. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Use a blow torch to brown the tips a bit further. Garnish with the reserved passion fruit pulp.
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